Undergraduate Research

Creation of the Aapar Foundation

Esha Chadha, Microbiology major with a Premedical Studies co-major, Class of 2020.

When Esha worked with a surgical oncologist in India in 2019, many of the patients Esha saw were from the slums and had extensive disease symptoms. A lot of them could not afford the basic necessities for cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy ports and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines. These patients often received their chemotherapy through their veins, which can sometimes cause arms and legs to stop functioning due to chemotherapy leakage into tissues surrounding one’s limbs. Esha decided to help find a solution. Esha realized it was possible to send these necessary supplies to a doctor in India in order for those patients to receive the proper treatment. After this idea Esha started the Aapar Foundation to help provide unused and surplus PICC lines and chemotherapy ports to patients in need around the world.

Esha told Honors, "I didn't fully realize I wanted to become a surgeon and help cancer patients until I went to India. After that trip I realized that I really love the medical environment and a career that's hands-on and requires quick problem-solving. This experience has helped me in choosing the right career path."

Community Cat Program

Amber Blevins, Biology major, Class of 2023.

Amber worked with her mentor Dr. Reagh at Oxford Veterinary Hospital to set up a community cat spay and neuter program at the clinic assisted by pre-vet student volunteers. This project is reducing the feral cat population in Oxford while helping students get veterinary contact hours and hands-on experience for admission to vet school. Amber held several events to spay and neuter both trapped feral cats and friendly ferals which community members bring in to the clinic. The Community Cat Program was designed to be sustainable after Amber graduated to provide continuous support to the Oxford community.

Amber told Honors, "This project deepened my passion for helping animals in need and for veterinary medicine. I gained valuable experience and knowledge I will be able to bring up in interviews for veterinary school applications and future jobs in the field. I also learned about what it takes to create a community program like this; I gained the leadership, communication, and fundraising skills needed to support this kind of effort."

MUF&D MOSAIC

Brie Anderson,  Supply Chain & Operations Management major with a Fashion co-major, Class of 2025.

This project documents Brie's year-long experience serving as President of MUF&D (Miami University Fashion & Design), the largest student-run organization on campus. The final product is a curated, editorial-style book that captures the behind-the-scenes planning, creative direction, leadership decisions, and personal growth that shaped the 19th Annual MUF&D Fashion Show. Through reflection-based writing, strategic analysis, and visual documentation, the book highlights everything from executive leadership and budgeting to theme development, promotional video production, and event execution. The goal of this project was to show how student leadership can drive innovation, collaboration, and professional-level outcomes in a campus setting. Brie wanted to create something that not only celebrated the end product, but also made visible the messy, rewarding, and often overlooked process of bringing it to life. This book serves as both a personal reflection and a lasting organizational resource. It is designed to honor the people behind the production while offering insight into leadership, creative problem-solving, and event management that can inform and inspire others, regardless of field.

Brie told Honors, "This project pushed me to grow more than I ever anticipated. Serving as President of MUF&D was already a defining experience, but documenting that journey forced me to pause, reflect, and fully recognize how much I've learned; not just as a leader, but as a communicator, collaborator, and creative thinker. I stepped into the role feeling prepared in theory, but quickly learned that leading a 900+ member organization requires far more than structure and planning. It requires emotional intelligence, flexibility, and the ability to guide a team through uncertainty, conflict, and constant change. Through this project, I saw the value in my own voice and perspective. It gave me a new appreciation for how leadership isn't always loud or perfect; it's often quiet, strategic, and rooted in care. More personally, this project helped me let go. After years in this organization, it gave me a moment to look back and honor how far I've come, while also making peace with moving forward. I'll carry these lessons into every room I enter next."

Evaluating and Developing Solutions to Improve the Primary Social Determinants of Health in Butler County with a Focus on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes

Nolan Kutchey, Biochemistry major with Premedical Studies co-major, Class of 2025

In 2023, Ohio public health officials released a Butler County Community Health Needs Assessment that identified prenatal and maternal/child health as a priority area for improving health outcomes. With the county being home to a diverse population that’s exposed to varying levels of the social determinants of health, Nolan emphasized his focus on addressing healthcare access and quality, education access and quality, and economic instability. His ultimate goal was to use those determinants as a guide for developing solutions that mitigate any gaps seen in healthcare and social services for maternal and infant health in Butler County. To do so, he analyzed the county's demographics and its Health Needs Assessment before interviewing labor and delivery healthcare providers as well as community leaders about their experiences while he volunteered weekly at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital and Booker T. Washington Community Center. Following those interviews, Nolan researched rural health programs currently available in the county as well as methods that have worked in other rural regions across the country. With that information, he proposed four solutions targeted at improving maternal and infant health outcomes: an online health and social care coordination system, leveraging telehealth for mothers, implementing community outreach clinics and services, and reviving health education classes that also emphasize supporting one’s basic needs. Through these ideas, which have been shared with the interviewees, Nolan hopes to help reduce infant mortality, make care and education more accessible, and increase health literacy for this important population.

Nolan told Honors, “Looking back on this project, I never expected it to cover so many different aspects of healthcare and reach as much depth as it did. It felt like whenever I’d have an idea or wanted to dive deeper into a topic, that initial search generated a new idea or expanded into a larger network of connected concepts. Therefore, it was interesting to use my experiences in both a community and healthcare setting to understand the individual role and functions of the social determinants of health, as well as help improve any shortcomings seen in the industry. From this honors project, I learned a ton about myself academically, personally, and professionally. On top of developing more reliable time management skills, I became a better reader, concise communicator through writing, and informational interviewer. Ultimately, there were several attributes I found out about myself, both in strengths and weaknesses to improve, but the most prominent was that I realized I am on the right journey into the health profession. In my project, I was exposed to the social determinants of health and various care organizations at a depth I’ve never covered before. As I’ll be heading into medicine in several years from now, I’ll always consider these factors when working with different patient populations, ensuring to provide equitable care for everyone. In the future, I can also use what I gathered in my solutions to potentially help in shaping health policies at the institution where I work, as I would prefer to be in a more rural or suburban setting with a diverse set of patients. Being at Miami, I feel especially fortunate to have had a liberal arts education and to spend time abroad considering the perspectives of citizens from around the world in my work. I believe those strengths that I’ve developed over the past four years have helped when combining the ideas from the interviewees in this work, and I know it’ll make me a more compassionate physician one day. Finally, my cultural competence grew by conversing with various populations, my empathy grew through finding the best methods for assisting these mothers and their infants, and my ability to work in teams to solve various problems was exemplified in my volunteer work. Overall, I’m excited, I’m determined, but most of all, I’m grateful to have successfully completed this volunteer-based project with a research focus and connect with those who enable BC to thrive.”

Status: A Series of Artworks Based on Wildlife Conservation and Zoo Work Experience.

Jae Rendall, Zoology major, Class of 2025

This project consists of ten artworks depicting ten different animal species that Jae worked with at the zoo during summer volunteer/internships. Zoos and aquariums are important centers for wildlife conservation. They fund projects that work with conservation within the zoos and out in the wild. They create public outreach programs to get their visitors to gain more of an interest in conservation. Jae’s art is another path for outreach and getting the people who view this series to care about the animal species depicted within each artwork. As the viewer moves from piece to piece, they see the color shifts from cool colors like blues and purples, to warm colors like reds and oranges. The viewer also notices that the number of individual figures in each piece begins to dwindle, until there are two small figures in the final work. These shifts in colors and numbers of figures reflect the conservation status of each species. The warmer and less figures there are in a painting, the more endangered that species is. Each piece is titled with the scientific name of that animal species, hopefully making the viewer inquisitive and influencing them to look more into the species and their conservation status. Art can work as one of the first stepping stones for anyone to get involved in wildlife conservation.

Jae told Honors, “This project allowed me to combine the two parts of my college education: my major in zoology and my minor in studio arts. I was able to take knowledge and experience from every single class I have been in while at Miami University and put it into this project. All of my work and dedication that I have put into my drawing and painting classes allowed me to form an idea for multiple works that could come together to form a series. I also used the knowledge I learned from my classes focused in biology and zoology to research the background information I needed to best convey the message I wanted for this art series. I wanted to focus on the importance of conservation with wildlife, particularly with zoo work because of my summer internships and volunteer work at zoos, thus I used my experience with finding research articles and information online to look into the conservation status and efforts put into specific species. With my article research experience from my science-based classes, along with my painting experience from my art classes, I feel I created a project that best reflects what I learned at Miami University.”

Growth Opportunities and Extreme Market Reactions to Mergers and Acquisitions

Michael Molchan, Business Economics and Finance majors, Class of 2021.

This project examines the link between a target firm's growth opportunities and the likelihood of extreme stock market reactions to M&A transactions around the announcement date. Using data on mergers and acquisitions from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019, Michael found that the growth potential of a target firm has an inconclusive impact on the likelihood that shareholders experience an extreme announcement day market reaction.

Michael told Honors, "Writing my Honors thesis enhanced my research skills and gave me a new appreciation for working with real-world data. I have spent my whole life being a consumer of information. Now, I have an insight into what it is like to be a producer of information; and for that, I am grateful."

Economic Effect of Sole Hospital Closure on Rural Community 

Rukmini (Ruku) Pal, Business Economics major, Class of 2022.

This project analyzed a panel from 1996 – 2014 of rural counties that had a single hospital in 1996 to estimate the impact of a hospital closure on county economic activity employment, total payroll, and number of establishments.

Ruku told Honors, “This project allowed me to work directly with two incredible economists and advisors in the Economics Department, Dr. Greg Niemesh and Dr. Melissa Thomasson. They challenged my coding and analytical skill set, expanding upon the small foundation I had to apply my skills to a real-world problem. I learned so much about running a project, learning to write a thesis, and then how to explain my research in a clear and succinct manner. Furthermore, the Honors College and my Honors experiences served as the core to my entire Miami experience. The support system, incredible other individuals who became life-long friends, and the ability to push my own boundaries did not only make me a better student, but a better person. My Miami experience would not be the same without the Honors College, and I cannot name a single aspect of Miami University that was more impactful than this.” 

Addressing the Deficit in the Accounting Pipeline

Christopher Petropoulos, Accountancy major (Class of 2024) and Master of Accountancy (Class of 2025).

Ask anyone in the professional services industry about the challenges facing their business, and one of their responses will likely be staffing. More specifically, firms of all sizes are experiencing difficulties today filling open positions in accounting jobs. On the other side of the equation, colleges throughout America are seeing fewer students choose to study accounting. A combination of an increased number of retirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, the inherently high demand for staff in the field, and an overall smaller pool of applicants has led to a shortage of accountants, coined as the “pipeline” issue. Chris investigated this problem through interviews with faculty at Miami University and a partner at Ernst and Young (EY). First by examining the lack of appeal of the accounting major and the poor value proposition offered to students. Next, Chris looked at the innovations to coursework and recruiting implemented by Miami University, as well as external and internal efforts by EY. Afterwards, Chris reviewed some considerations and challenges faced in attracting students to the field, before concluding with recommendations for universities struggling with accounting enrollment.

Chris told Honors, "Overall, the project has given me a very comprehensive understanding of the industry I'm entering after graduation: accounting. While I've learned a lot about accounting through college courses and work experience, I now have much stronger knowledge on the field. This gave me the chance to conduct a deep reflection on my internship experience, looking back on what I learned, what I liked/disliked, and the differences between accounting firms. This was my first experience with research, and I enjoyed the process. I feel well prepared for my future career, as I understand the work environment, career path, and current issues."

HERO (Hypoglycemia Episode Relief Organization)

Amanda Simeone, Finance major with a Entrepreneurship co-major, Class of 2025.

HERO began as an idea to improve diabetes management after Amanda experienced a terrifying moment; Amanda watched her mom, a type 1 diabetic, experience a hypoglycemia-induced seizure. That moment was life-changing. It opened Amanda's eyes to not only the severity of low blood sugar episodes, but also the lack of accessible, fast-acting solutions on the market. Amanda knew that there had to be a better way, and that personal drive led to the creation of HERO. HERO provides diabetics and their loved ones with a reliable, fast-acting, and easy-to-use solution for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) episodes. HERO's patent-pending glucose melts deliver safe, rapid blood sugar elevation, eliminating the fear and helplessness that often accompany hypoglycemia. By bridging the gap between traditional glucose products and emergency intervention, HERO ensures that diabetics maintain control during critical moments - whether self-administered or assisted by a bystander.

Amanda told Honors, "Since that [eye-opening] moment, HERO has become so much more than just a product. Through this journey, I've grown as a founder, leader, and problem-solver. I learned how to navigate everything from clinical testing and manufacturing to marketing strategies and investor pitches. I interviewed hundreds of diabetics and caregivers, and their stories continue to fuel my passion. HERO has shown me what it means to build something that not only fills a market gap but also has the power to change lives. Upon graduation in May, I'll be working on HERO full-time. This project has not only shaped my future but helped me discover exactly what I want to do. I can't wait to continue to create meaningful impact through innovation. HERO perfectly portrays my 'why' and its journey has made a lasting impact on who I am today. I'm excited to continue on this journey and change the future of diabetes management."

The Experience of a Young Woman in Hitler’s Europe

Madeline Mitchell, Theatre and Journalism majors, Class of 2019.

This project developed, in part, out of Madeline’s study abroad trip to Luxembourg at MUDEC and subsequent research on the Holocaust, including interviews with Holocaust survivors. Madeline then wrote a one-act play that was performed on campus. The play touched on themes of trauma, memory, ritual and the Jewish community as three women's stories of life during the Holocaust. Madeline wrote the play with hopes of sharing the stories of survivors and keeping their memories alive for future generations.

The Body is Language: Explorations of Subjectivity in Contemporary Chinese Art

Louise McKinney, Art & Architecture History major, Class of 2024.

This paper examines works by Zhang Huan, Zhu Yu, Ma Qiusha, and Chen Lingyang, four contemporary Chinese artists who used photography and performance as mediums with which to explore the changing role of the individual in China following the institution of the Reform and Opening Up policy in 1978. Louise argues that their works align with Buddhist ideas of the "self" and the "subject," which posit that the self exists only as a construct invented by the mind's experiences of senses and feelings. By manipulating their bodies in sometimes extreme and always theatrical and performative ways, Zhang, Zhu, Ma, and Chen developed a corpus of visceral, vulnerable works, opening up the body to contact with the abject and threatening the dissolution of the self. At a time when China as a nation was renegotiating its identity and its position relative to capitalist global powers, these works represent a parallel process of reflection and de/construction.

Louise to Honors, "This essay is the simulation of work I began three years ago with an Honors extension paper on gender in Buddhism. I further developed my art historical research skills with an Undergraduate Summer Scholars project. With the help of my faculty mentors, I was able to explore a topic of great personal and professional interest. As I prepare to enter a Master's program in Museum Studies, I have a strong foundation of knowledge about the ways in which Chinese contemporary art, performance art and photography, and Buddhist art have been discussed, presented, and received by global audiences."

Creating Dynamic Music in Game Design: To Aeris

Micah Ballard, Games + Simulation and Music Performance majors, Class of 2025

For this project, Micah extended his Games + Simulation Capstone class game, called To Aeris, a 3D puzzle adventure game, to add more dynamic and complex sound design to the sound effects and music that he composed. Micah’s Games Capstone team consisted of 5 other people who served as Level Designer, 3D Character animator, 3D Character modeler, and the 3D environmental artists, while he did the programming, music, and sound design. Micah used a tool called FMOD to create and mix the audio of the sound effects and music, and add parameters to the sounds that allow for more unique effects, such as randomized pitching of sounds to specific notes, changing the quality of the sound based on what the player of the game is doing, and adding music cues.

Micah told Honors, “Over the three semesters working on this project, I have learned a lot about the process of sound design in videogames when it comes to the creation and implementation of the sounds and music, as well as the programming. From finding good resources for free, realistic sound effects, such as footsteps, ambient background sound, nature sounds, and combining sound effects to create new ones, such as lightning strikes. I also got the opportunity to meet people that work for the FMOD software at the Games Developer Conference, in which I got to talk to them about the software and meet other developers who use the software for their own games. Overall, I learned how smooth the integration process is between FMOD and Unity, and how I can use it to make far more efficient sound design and modify how it works through my coding in C#.”

Designing for Neurodiversity: Finding Space for Equity in the Hotel Resort Experience

Erin Lambert, Interior Design major with Arts Management co-major, Class of 2025

This two-part project includes the research for and design of a hotel resort that includes strategies making it more accessible and more comfortable for people who are neurodiverse. Traditional hotel design presents barriers for neurodiversity to thrive; busy environments, loud spaces, and inflexibility are just a handful of the challenges faced by neurodiverse people travelling. Part one is a research paper that explores the historical context for neurodiversity, hotel resort design, and travelling while neurodiverse. Part two is the application of this research into a design project. This case-study design has an emphasis on privacy, flexibility of spaces, and sensory reduction, aimed at improving the experience for many neurodiverse families.

Erin told Honors, “This project spanned the course of two semesters for me and represented nine cumulative credit hours of classes—that’s to say, it was on the forefront of my mind for most of the year. In the fall 2024 semester, I spent many hours laboring over research for my paper, which ended up being 301 pages and the source of many nights of stress—but also many nights of pouring over research as each fascinating discovery led me down a path of personal exploration into topics that I find incredibly and increasingly interesting. Getting to the end of finals week and submitting the paper for class was just the craziest feeling, because it was the first time I had ever produced something of this scale that required the amount of time that was spent on the paper. Transitioning from the paper to a design project this semester was another unique situation for me—I’ve done design projects based on research before, but normally both parts are done over the course of one semester, rather than a whole year. Having such a serious record of research to back up the design decisions made the process that much more education and that much more engaging for me. It also helped me affirm that the field of design that I want to go into is hospitality design—I really love getting to do spaces related to experiences, rather than other options like healthcare or workplace. Getting to do a project of this scale, as I was interviewing for jobs as well gave me a really interesting talking point—I had multiple interviewers send follow up articles for me to consider as part of my design, which really highlighted the joys of creative work. It really is one of the most collaborative fields and it has me really excited about entering the field as a new professional.”

Repatriation: The Case of Ancient Egyptian Art at University Museums

Anna Gaudreau, Art & Architecture History and Diplomacy & Global Politics majors, Class of 2025

Repatriation is a nuanced topic and a one size fits all approach does not allow for effective conversations surrounding the topic. Focusing on an Ancient Egyptian Tablet Fragment donated to the Richard and Carol Cocks Art Museum at Miami University by one of its founding donors, Walter I. Farmer, this paper aims to examine how repatriation might be considered for a piece at a university art museum. By examining the history of the art piece, the international laws that frame cultural heritage, and the role in which the university museum plays in its community this paper aims to make a conclusion on whether the Ancient Egyptian Tablet Fragment should be considered for repatriation with the information currently available.

Anna told Honors, “This project impacted me in a few different ways. First it gave me a new appreciation for the research my professors do on top of their jobs as professors. Research on top of my classes was a lot to balance and it taught me a level of discipline I am sure I will carry into law school with me. One thing I am really proud of with this paper was the attention I paid to doing and thinking about the things I read before I moved on to writing the paper. A lot of the time when I am writing research papers for classes I am reading and writing kind of at the same time. For this project I really wanted to make sure I was doing thorough research to make one of the more complicated arguments I have ever drawn out into a paper. Another thing that impacted me that has less to do with the process and more to do with the outcome of the paper is the fact that my conclusion was not what I was expecting it to be when I first started. I really thought going into this that I was going to conclude that the object should be returned. As I performed research I came to change my mind and recognize the importance of having art from other cultures spread around the world. Finally I am also very proud of the fact that I conducted my own original provenance research at the National Gallery in DC.”

The Suburban American Evolution

Sophia Edwards, Architecture major, Class of 2025

This essay takes a brief look at the evolution of modern American houses; the kinds you see driving down the street that look like endless rows of nearly identical buildings. It looks to the history of the country and major historical and cultural events as explanations for the shifts we find in architecture. Beginning back before the United States was even founded and ending with several case studies of houses currently being offered construction in 2025, the different eras of American culture and the way people lived and interacted with each other are clearly displayed in the housing of the time, and comparing it in a linear fashion helps to explain how we ended up with the houses we live in today.

Sophia told Honors, “Even before I began studying Architecture at Miami, I was passionate about houses and the way people live in them, and that the houses we have today are in many ways doing a disservice to us. This project started as a way for me to explore exactly how we got to where we are. I knew that at some point homes were made of good quality materials, and were individualized to the people who lived there, and that now those things were not true, but I wanted to know why. As I prepare to graduate and join the architecture industry I want to be able to give my clients work I can be proud of, whether that is my design or the physical building materials. Understanding the history of our houses is an important component of determining exactly why these modern houses have never sat well with me. Unless I know where they came from, I will not know how best to improve on them and do my part in bringing back quality homes for modern Americans. Now that I have completed the project, I do in fact feel more equipped to be able to contribute well to the industry. People have always been one of the most compelling factors in architecture for me, and having the opportunity to complete this project has helped me in learning how to serve them well in my work.”

Education in the United States Compared to The European Schools

Camila Rodriguez, Integrated Mathematics Education and Mathematics majors, Class of 2019.

This project was possible due to Camila's unique student teaching experience at The European Schools in Luxembourg. Camila was able to answer the following questions: What will the biggest differences be between my experiences teaching in the states and in Luxembourg? How can I relay this information when I return? How will I use this information to make a difference as an educator? Initially, Camila and her co-creator, Taylor Wood, wanted to explore specifically the differences between mathematics education in the states and in The European Schools. As they continued to acquire information, the project evolved and shifted its focus to also investigate the differences in staff attitudes, student attitudes, special education, technology, etc. through observations, interviews and research. As a result, Camila and Taylor had the opportunity to holistically compare education in the states to the European Schools and they hope this information can be leveraged by future educators to cultivate a global and inclusive classroom.

Camila told Honors, "This project has impacted me because, as a future educator in the states, it is important for me to know what teaching mathematics is like in other continents around the world. Additionally, I know that I will have a voice in education in the states, and I plan to use it."

Disrupting, Developing, Excavating, and Disseminating Critical ELA Curriculum

Ellie MacDowell, Integrated English Language Arts Education major, Class of 2023.

Through work with Dr. Kelli Rushek, Ellie created a unit-long curriculum focused on flipping the canonical narrative for English teachers. The unit focused on teaching “Just Mercy” to high school students through various lenses. Once the curriculum was written, Ellie and Dr. Rushek excavated it, looking for inherent biases and ways to improve the cultural sustainability of this lesson. Ellie and her faculty mentor are currently working on publishing our findings and presented at the National Conference of Teachers of English in 2023.

Ellie told Honors, "Working with Dr. Rushek has allowed me to understand all that goes into creating culturally sustaining curriculum, and these practices are ones that I will take with me as a first year educator."

Economic Disadvantage and Its Emotional and Academic Impact on Young Children in Schools

Caroline Sandford, Primary Education PK-5 major, Class of 2025

This thesis explores the deep emotional and academic impact of economic disadvantage on young students in schools. Caroline focuses on her personal experiences while student teaching in a Title 1 elementary school. Through daily interactions and building strong relationships with students, Caroline was able to observe how economic disadvantage impacts them day to day. Her reflection and analysis of her student teaching experience is supported through research on Title 1 schools, funding, academic and emotional impacts of poverty on young learners, and more. This paper examines how economic disadvantage can limit students’ success in schools, and how educators and communities can combat this. By combining her personal narrative with research, Caroline’s work highlights the importance of recognizing how deeply students are impacted by economic disadvantage, and how educators and schools can work to support these students.

Caroline told Honors, “Heading into this project, I centered my reflective narrative and research around my thesis: Economic disadvantage has deep impacts on both the academic performance and emotional well-being of students, as seen throughout my student teaching placement. While reflecting on my experience and researching this idea further, I can confidently say this is true. Through reflecting on my months as a teacher in the school and writing a personal narrative, I have been able to analyze my first hand experiences with students living at an economic disadvantage. Additionally, it was an educational experience researching Title 1 schools and the discrepancies with funding between schools. As I go through my job search and start working in the field of education, it is important for me to be aware of the current events in education. I was able to research root causes of how economic disadvantage can impact young learners both in active time and the future. I was able to learn about various preventative and corrective strategies to help students with emotional struggles as a result of their economic status. Not only did I learn about how to further support students emotionally, but academically as well. There are instructional strategies and resources that I can utilize to help close achievement gaps that students face. I learned strategies on how to create an inclusive, safe, and trauma-informed classroom. I will take everything I have learned from completing this project, and turn it into strategies and supports for my future students and classroom.”

Rumors ≠ Gossip: A Critical Feminist Content Analysis of Gossip’s Representation in Young Adult Literature

Julia Beaumont, Integrated English Language Arts Education and English: Literature majors, Class of 2025.

The purpose of this critical content analysis (CCA) is to inquire into how gossip is portrayed in young adult (YA) novels, drawing from the theoretical frameworks of critical feminist pedagogy (hooks, 1994; Webb et al., 2002) and culturally sustaining literacy pedagogy (Alim & Paris, 2017). Depictions of gossip and rumor-spreading in 10 YA texts were compared and analyzed using the methods of CCA (Johnson et al., 2016). Using critical feminist theoretical coding, the overarching themes illuminated that the action of rumor-spreading is often mislabeled as gossiping, and productive, positive gossip is often unnamed as such in YA literature.

Julia told Honors, “In reflection on how this study changed my personal perspectives on literature and media, I feel as though I am a more aware and critical consumer of the world that surrounds me. Casually viewing TV shows such as Gossip Girl (Schwartz & Savage, 2007) and Bridgerton (Rhimes & Dollard, 2020)—both media centered around an “all-knowing” truth-teller revealing the secrets of the elite—has become a mental exercise in criticality. Through the process of conducting a critical content analysis, I learned about new methods of analyzing media; I practiced questioning the narratives being presented to me. Multimodal texts such as TV shows have been an excellent way for me to continue applying a critical feminist gossip lens to my everyday life. And, with a critical feminist reconstruction of curricular materials, I hope to mobilize my prospective students to similarly apply their critical thinking and media literacy skills to the texts they watch, read, and listen to. By learning about critical feminist perspectives on gossip, I have also begun to recognize the small moments of positive, productive gossiping that occur in my everyday life. I am more adept at noticing the small acts of resistance bolstered by my one-on-one, authentic conversations with my close female friends. Gossiping offers a form of affirmation in my personal life, and this project has allowed me to realize just how much gossip permeates and empowers my choices as an educator, friend, sister, and woman.”

Evidence for Psilocybin-Norbaeocystin Entourage Effects in Rats Using a Novel E. coli-based Norbaeocystin Synthesis Process

Lexie Adams, Chemical Engineering major, Class of 2021.

This project focused on the development of a bacterial host for the production of psilocybin, the active ingredient in Magic Mushrooms. Although this illicit substance has been banned in the United States, it is currently being studied in FDA-approved clinical trials as a medication fortreatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other neurological disorders. As part of the Jones Lab, we were focused on finding a more cost-effective way to produce the molecule. As part of our initial findings, we were able to see a build-up of a pathway intermediate, norbaeocystin. This sparked interest in learning more about this molecule and its potential benefits to patients. There are currently no viable manufacturing processes for norbaeocystin, so we were able to re-optimize our E. coli strain to produce large quantities of this molecule. We were able to then partner with the McMurray Lab in the Department of Psychology to show the first evidence of an entourage effect between psilocybin and norbaeocystin. This finding motivates the study of different dosages of psilocybin and norbaeocystin to improve efficacy of treatments using these powerful molecules.

Lexie told Honors, "As I start my PhD, I will continue to use the skills I’ve learned from these projects to fuel ideas to benefit patients. I have been able to present this work at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) national conference in 2018 and publish it in the peer reviewed journal, Metabolic Engineering."

Virtual Reality for Medical Training Simulations

Brad Schmitz, Computer Science and Interactive Media Studies majors, Class of 2021.

The goal was this project was to develop a virtual reality (VR) simulation to train nurses and nursing student. This specific program presents a scenario of treating a patient with Parkinson's Disease, and is being used in a research study conducted by Lori Cooke (a nursing faculty member at Methodist University) to determine the effectiveness of VR in training nursing students. Medical training can be expensive and dangerous, so technologies like VR are promising for inexpensive, safe, and immersive training alternatives.

Brad told Honors, "For me, the best part of this project was simply getting to learn virtual reality development, with the assistance of my faculty mentor Dr. Eric Hodgson. It was also great to be able to collaborate with other students and faculty to present a finished simulation that will be actually utilized by people!"

Exploring Sustainable Energy Efforts and Solar Power Potential at Miami University

Sarah Freeman, Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering majors, Class of 2025

This honors extension on Sarah’s CEC senior design project aims to evaluate the current state of solar power at Miami University and explore possible ways in which solar power could be integrated into the university. Technical design decisions such as the best PV cells and battery technology, will be briefly discussed. However, the report will focus on other considerations involved in solar power implementation. For example, one topic of focus will be how to minimize campus disruption while integrating solar power technology. The solar power development at Miami University would need to ensure that the solar installations enhance rather than detract from the campus environment. The project is designed to respect the distinctive characteristics of Miami University, adhering to community standards for public space aesthetics, pedestrian access, and overall site planning. The solar structures are crafted to complement existing campus buildings and align with local policies on commercial and institutional developments, particularly concerning building heights and landscaping. In addition to exploring solar power, this will also look into geothermal heating efforts on campus and offer potential future sustainability opportunities and obstacles related to emerging technology, particularly AI.

Sarah told Honors, “Sustainable energy is deeply important to me because it represents what makes engineering meaningful to me. It is a way to work with innovative technology while helping people. Being able to look at sustainable energy through a lens that hits closer to home was really interesting as I dove into Miami's sustainability efforts for this project. I also got to think about many things outside of the technical that influence energy technology such as international politics and state laws and regulations. This project also connects to my sustainable aviation internship with NASA, where I saw firsthand how innovative energy solutions could dramatically reduce environmental impact while still pushing the boundaries of what is possible in transportation.”

Glucose and Uric Acid Monitor for Low Resource Settings

Alex Coulombe, Biomedical Engineering major, Class of 2025

This project presents the design and development of a portable, paper-based biosensor for the colorimetric detection of glucose and uric acid—two critical biomarkers for chronic diseases prevalent in low-resource settings. Traditional diagnostic methods often require costly infrastructure and trained personnel, limiting access in underserved communities. In response, this project aimed to create an affordable, battery-powered device that operates independently of computers and external power sources. The final prototype combines two TCS34725 color sensors, an Arduino Nano, and an OLED display housed within a 3D-printed enclosure. Through extensive self-directed learning, the system was programmed to process grayscale values from colorimetric test strips and display results on-screen via a simple four-button menu interface. Particular emphasis was placed on usability, manufacturability, and cost, resulting in a device that weighs 120g, costs under $8 to build, and meets key World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for point-of-care diagnostics. This work fulfills the requirements of a senior design project while also extending into a market-oriented product through the Honors Senior Project (HSP) initiative. Key innovations include user-centered mechanical design, branding and packaging strategies, and a shift from a tethered prototype to a fully self-contained diagnostic tool. The project was recognized with the “Most Customer-Centric Design” award at the Senior Design Expo, reflecting its strong alignment with real-world needs. Beyond its technical achievements, this work highlights the value of empathy-driven, self-guided engineering in addressing global health challenges.

Alex told Honors, “This project became one of the most formative experiences of my undergraduate education, not because it reinforced what I had already learned in the classroom, but because it demanded that I teach myself entirely new skills. To succeed, I had to independently research, experiment, and iterate my way through unfamiliar tools and concepts. These weren’t sterile lab exercises with predetermined outcomes – they were real-world problems that needed real solutions, and it was up to me to find them. Extending the major required Senior Design Project as part of the Honors Senior Project also gave me the chance to think more broadly about impact. I wasn’t just building a device that worked, I was designing a product that could be used, by real people, in real communities with limited resources. That shift in perspective forced me to think deeply about usability, cost, durability, and visual communication. It became clear that engineering doesn’t end with a functioning prototype; it ends when that prototype actually meets someone’s needs. Ultimately, this project helped me define the kind of engineer I want to become. I’m most engaged when I’m building things that are accessible, empowering, and grounded in the needs of the user. Whether in medical technology, consulting, or public health innovation, I want to carry forward this mindset of self-directed, impact-oriented design, and this project gave me the best possible launchpad for doing just that.”

Streaming Hub Extension

Cameron Day & Jack Dziubinski, Computer Science majors, Class of 2025

Cameron and Jack’s Honors Senior Project was an addition to their CSE Senior Design Project, applying the knowledge they learned from researching the three pillars of ethical development: accessibility, security, and privacy. Specifically, the project was broken into stages of research, application, and reflection. In the research stage, Cameron and Jack spent time researching and analyzing the importance of each pillar of ethical development. Here they focused on general importance, relevant regulations and standards, and their project’s current implementation. In the application stage they applied their newfound knowledge to update their senior capstone project. Finally, Cameron and Jack reflected upon their changes and made notes for future goals. The results of their project therefore updated and improved their CSE Senior Design Project product (changes that would not have been made prior) as well detailed paper which logged the knowledge gained and progress throughout the entire project.

Jack told Honors, “This project had an interesting impact on me and my final year of my undergraduate degree. Since our honors project was quite open and customizable, we shaped it in a way that would mimic our favorite way of learning: research (theoretical) and application. Both of these two sides taught me different things about accessibility, security, and privacy. The research stage for me was arguably the most important part of this process, which we spent quite a bit of time on. Learning about different regulations, which I knew were out there but did not always consider, was an experience that I know will be beneficial in my future software development roles. Being able to then apply this to an existing application was also beneficial, as it allowed me to understand what the regulations meant in practice. By learning more about accessibility, security, and privacy, I feel like I am a more well rounded developer. Being able to take these aspects into consideration when designing or developing applications can really separate the quality of a computer scientist from another.”

Testing Interoceptive Deficits as a Mediator of ADHD Symptomatology and Restrictive Eating Pathology

Abby Tietjen, Psychology major with a Neuroscience co-major, Class of 2022.

The project looked to investigate the role of interoception in the relationship of ADHD symptoms and disordered eating behavior. Interoception which is a concept which captures how one experiences their internal physiological sensations. It was hypothesized that a deficit in these abilities would help to explain the relationship between ADHD symptoms and disordered eating behaviors. A self report methodology was used and did not find interoception to have a mediating role in this relationship, though ADHD symptoms and restrictive eating were found to be highly related to one another as well as trusting one's body sensations.

Abby told Honors, “I learned about data collection and data collection issues which arise in psychology. It also allowed me to work on improving my scientific writing skills which I would not have otherwise focused as much time on. I think it really helped me to understand what psychology graduate school would look like after working so closely with graduate students.”

Attention-Getting Strategies Used by Hearing Parents with their Autistic Children

Katherine Kingsbury, Speech Pathology & Audiology major, Class of 2023.

This project centered on joint attention between autistic children and their parents. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involves both social and cognitive challenges, one being difficulty with visual attention. The ability to establish and track eye gaze with a caregiver (joint attention) is essential for language acquisition, as disruptions to these foundational interactions can impact the child across their lifespan. This exploratory study between hearing parents and their autistic children seeks to address the following question: what attention-getting and attention-maintenance strategies are used by hearing parents of autistic children ages 3-5 during play?

Katherine told Honors, "As an audiology student, this research has contributed to my professional development by providing me an understanding of facilitating joint attention, which can be applied to my future clients. Because I am potentially going to be working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, having a greater understanding of what strategies are being used by parents will allow me to better understand my clients’ needs. Additionally, I was involved in all stages of research process from developing the protocol, collecting remote video samples, and also analyzing the data, providing me with a deeper understanding and appreciation of such stages to research."

Protect and Serve Breakfast: Communities of Care and the Impact of the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast for School Children Program (1969-1980)

Julia Brannon, History and Integrated Social Studies Education majors, Class of 2023.

This work examines how the Black Panther Party reimagined society through the communities of care they created in their Free Breakfast for School Children Program. While the Black Panther Party had many survival programs, all of which greatly served the community and filled needs neglected by the state, the breakfast program was the most significant program because it paved the way for survival programs to follow and was a source of communal power and unity. Primarily run by women, serving the most vulnerable members of the population, children, the breakfast program embodied the party’s purpose to protect and serve their community. However, despite the revolutionary care that the Black Panthers practiced, they also represented emerging Marxist ideals in a Cold War climate, plagued with McCarthyism, making them a target of the FBI and their counterintelligence program (COINTELPRO). The efforts made by the FBI to diminish the Black Panther’s relationship with the people reveal the power that the Black Panthers yielded and the breakfast program’s effectiveness. In fact, these programs were so successful that they inspired other marginalized groups to implement their own breakfast programs. The Black Panthers served up solidarity by helping organizations like the Young Lords, Brown Berets, Young Patriots, and Rainbow Coalition establish their own programs, spreading their revolutionary ideas along the way. The significance of the Free Breakfast for School Children Program reverbs to the modern day, as new organizations carry on the Black Panther’s legacy and continue to protect and serve the community.

Julia told Honors, "This project greatly helped me grow in my critical thinking, analysis, writing, and historical empathy skills. through this project, I was able to interview a Black Panther Alumni and visit the Huey P. Newton Special Collection at the Stanford University archives both of which greatly informed the overall project and were life-changing experiences for me. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to produce an original work with the help of my advisors and the wonderful history staff at Miami and showcase the work of a Black Power group." 

Structured Lives: First Wave Feminists, Embodiment, and Corsets

Jillian Schwab, Anthropology major, Class of 2024.

This projected compared the ratios of bust-waist, waist-hip, and bust-hip measurements of over 240 corsets from multiple museum collections and determined that dress reform discourse of universal extreme tightlacing did not accurately reflect the lived experiences of women. Jillian incorporated anthropological embodiment theory to understand how corsets — and therefore by extension, the female body — became the subject of cultural and social discourse, rather than an object. The narrative of corsets is deeply personal and the ability to consider an object in its original context — wearer’s class, age, needs, etc — creates an empathetic relationship between past and present.

Jillian told Honors, "The Honors College gave me opportunities to explore my interests and passions, which are arguably niche, in a deeper academic sense. I never felt silly or out of place when I explained my research, especially when asking for funding. The support from my advisor and the director himself truly motivated me and gave me the confidence I needed. I feel like a much stronger researcher than I did before."

X: Climate Change and Old English Literature

Sam Fouts, Creative Writing and English Literature majors, Class of 2024.

The Exeter Book (Exeter Cathedral Library, MS 3501) is a tenth-century, early medieval manuscript, which includes some of the most celebrated works of early English poetry. Traditional scholarly approaches to this material have argued for a resonance of this poetry within a monastic, Christian tradition. (Förster 1933, Orton 2016, Niles 2019). However, there has recently been a turn towards reconsidering Old English poetry in light of contemporary environmental concerns, and The Exeter Anthology in particular has often attracted scholarly interest along these lines (Estes 2017, Barajas 2021). The first-person voice of the riddle creature has proved especially fascinating for critics interested in nonhuman perspectives in early medieval literature (Paz 2017, Dale 2017). And simultaneously, poets and fiction writers such as Maria Dahvana Headley (The Mere Wife, 2018), Paul Kingsnorth (The Wake, 2014), and Miller Oberman (The Unstill Ones, 2017), have drawn on the Exeter Book to reimagine the present's relationship with the past, while producing works that interrogate environmental concerns and an uncertain future. Core to both this creative and critical work is a larger, temporal question of how can the present look to the past to imagine a future? For this project, Sam joined the discourse by producing his own creative and critical work. The project involved an analysis of Exeter poetry and inspired works such as The Wake through an Eco-critical lens. Then, drawing on the Exeter book - and informed by the critical work above - Sam produced a collection of Exeter-inspired poetry and riddles that address questions of temporality and ecology in an era of climate change.

Sam told Honors, "This project was one of the most formative experiences during my time at Miami. Not only did I become versed in academic research, I developed the rigor and discipline to conceptualize and follow through on a long-form project. This project also served as gateway into other opportunities like the CAS Dean's Scholar and the Geoffrion Family Student Fellowship programs -- as well as the foundation for the project proposal that would result in me receiving the Goldman Prize. Going forward, I plan on developing this research through the Goldman Prize and applying to an MFA in fiction writing."

"It's the Venom Symbiote from Spiderman": Automaticity, FOMO and Social Media Mindfulness

Kaya Fung, Strategic Communication, Class of 2024.

This Honors Senior Research Project sought to research the social media usage behaviors and experiences of fellow students at Miami University. Focused on the themes of automatic social media usage, fear of missing out (FOMO), and social media mindfulness, this project utilized a Qualtrics survey which was distributed to and completed by 148 Miami University students. The results of this project demonstrate the prevalence of automatic social media behaviors among students surveyed, even during dangerous and illegal situations such as using social media while driving. Survey results demonstrated that FOMO manifests as a need to stay in the loop with updates of those in one's social circle, but that social media alone does not meet the social needs of students. The results of questions focused on mindfulness and behavioral awareness demonstrate that many students are aware of their social media usage, but that this awareness doesn't necessarily correspond to behavioral changes. The qualitative responses to this survey demonstrated that many individuals are regularly engaging with high levels of social media mindfulness, which has manifested as some deleting their social media accounts, while others cannot bear to leave the platforms behind. Ultimately, students surveyed are engaging with simultaneous experiences of automatic social media behavior, FOMO and mindfulness.

Kaya told Honors, "This research project has been an incredible learning experience for me as an undergraduate researcher. It has equipped me with many of the skills I will be relying on as a graduate student and researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign next year. I became a CITI certified researcher, designed an original survey, distributed an original survey, and gained experience in quantitative data analysis. Throughout the process of developing this project and working on the final write up for it, I improved my time management skills and have fostered new ideas for future research in graduate school. Furthermore, I was able to gain one-on-one mentorship from two wonderful professors in my Department [of Media, Journalism, and Film] who have not only helped me grow as a researcher but as a person."

Why West Virginia Leads the Nation in Disability Rates

Lilly Ryan, Political Science major, Class of 2024.

West Virginia leads the nation in disability rates, with a disproportional number of West Virginians having disabilities. Despite this fact, current scholarship fails to provide a conclusive answer as to the cause of this high disability rate. This research aims to fill this gap and provide a thorough summary as to why West Virginia has a disproportionately high disability rate, identifying the causes of this rate, and outlining solutions. West Virginia’s high disability rate must be examined to ensure proper policy changes can be recommended to address the challenges individuals with disabilities face. There is no single answer to why West Virginia has a disproportionately high rate of disability. Instead, this paper identifies a list of factors contributing to West Virginia’s high rate of disability while outlining solutions to the problems individuals with disabilities face. This research found that the leading cause of disability isn’t disability; it’s a multitude of reasons, all relating to the barriers that exist within the society we live in. These barriers can take many forms; they can be educational, in the workplace, present in healthcare, due to ignorance, or even be a product of society. Each of the causes of West Virginia’s disproportionately high disability rate identified represents a barrier that needs to be addressed within the State.

Lilly told Honors this project was impactful because "completing this research project allowed me to research a population and community I am a part of. I decided my Honors Senior Project focus would be on individuals with disabilities from my home state of West Virginia. Despite the state’s high disability rate, little attention is being paid to the challenges individuals with disabilities from West Virginia face. I dedicated a year to researching why West Virginia has a disproportional disability rate and I made policy recommendations on how disability law can be changed to better support those individuals."

Passive Acoustic Monitoring and Machine Learning: a preliminary soundscape analysis of Soqtapata in Andean-Amazonian Peru

Kathryn Keeley, Anthropology major, Class of 2025

This honors thesis presents a preliminary investigation into the application of Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) and machine learning (ML) for primate detection in Soqtapata, a newly established conservation concession in the Andean-Amazonian region of Peru. Located within a global biodiversity hotspot, Soqtapata offers a unique but under-studied environment for ecological research. Over an eight-week period, 12 AudioMoth acoustic loggers collected more than 550,000 minutes of audio data across diverse forest trails. To analyze this extensive dataset, we employed two ML platforms: BirdNET Analyzer and Arbimon. While BirdNET proved sensitive to localized acoustic contexts, it required a robust training dataset that was unavailable at the outset. In contrast, Arbimon’s Pattern Matching tool allowed for more immediate detection using minimal input but yielded a high rate of false positives in some cases. Results confirmed the presence of three primate species—Sapajus apella macrocephalus, Lagothrix lagotricha sp., and Leontocebus fuscicollis—through both direct observation and validated vocalizations. Our findings highlight the compatibility of PAM and ML tools for non-invasive biodiversity surveys, though limitations in current algorithms—particularly with regard to graded vocalizations and ambient noise—suggest that further refinement is necessary. This study not only establishes a baseline for future ecological monitoring in Soqtapata but also contributes to the broader development of automated acoustic methods in primatology. By documenting the strengths and constraints of current detection tools, Kathryn proposes a two-tiered workflow combining Arbimon and BirdNET to optimize analysis pipelines for future research.

Kathryn told Honors, “Conducting my honors thesis was by far the most challenging and rewarding academic project I’ve completed during my undergraduate career. I had never been to the field before, and being in an isolated area in Peru was an amazing experience. This was the first time I was fully responsible for managing data collection, analysis, and interpretation from start to finish. What made this project meaningful wasn’t just the findings but the process of learning how to do ecological research responsibly and efficiently. I learned how to evaluate tools not just for their accuracy, but for their accessibility and sustainability in the field. This project solidified my interest in bioacoustics, gave me confidence in pursuing more independent research in the future, and has helped me decide to apply to a graduate program in the future.”

Changes in skeletal muscle mass and measured REE of older adults following a 6-month weight loss program

Iris Puthoff, Nutrition and Public Health majors, Class of 2021.

This project was an extension of an NIH funded research lab in the Kinesiology department at Miami University. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a 6-month weight loss program on skeletal muscle mass and resting energy expenditure (REE) in overweight and obese older adults. Results found that older adults may achieve weight loss without significant skeletal muscle mass loss, although regular aerobic exercise may not significantly increase skeletal muscle mass or resting energy expenditure. The final data was compiled into a poster presentation and was presented virtually at the 2020 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE). It was also published in the Journal of the Academy and Nutrition and Dietetics.

Iris told Honors, "This project was very impactful on my educational experience. I was able to get hands on experience through data collection and interactions with participants. Completing statistical analysis helped me to gain a better understanding of the research process and this research project allowed me to grain a deeper understanding within my field."

Typologies of Adaptation: Parenting Children with Primary Lymphedema

By Rakhsha Khatri, Public Health and Microbiology majors, Class of 2021.

Mothers of children with primary lymphedema (LE) may be vulnerable to experiencing feelings of helplessness, frustration, grief, and excess stress that can lead to negative mood and child behavioral problems. This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of these mothers. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with mothers of children with LE from seven countries. Qualitative data were coded using a codebook. Codes were then subject to discussion by the research team who identified a pattern of parenting approaches. The resulting typologies of these approaches to parenting provide insight into the unique challenges these mothers face that may be used by healthcare providers, social workers, child life specialists, and family life educators to ensure that parents, and other caregivers are receiving the support they need. The outcomes of this project were presentations at 2019, 2021 Undergraduate Research Forum, 2019 National Council on Family Relations Conference, International Lymphoedema Framework Conference 2019, and a manuscript.

Rak told Honors, "As future a healthcare professional, I hope to understand my patients beyond their disease, thereby becoming their advocates in ways that are best fit for their identity. I hope to provide support to my patients that may off-set their unique stressors and to understand my patients beyond their illness. Patients need someone to understand their disease beyond the definition that healthcare professionals learned in their textbooks. As seen in this study, regardless of having the disease, how it affects individuals varies greatly not only across national borders but also among those who are living in the same country. It is important for us to keep advocating for our patients that best fits them, not us."

Universal Healthcare in the United States of America

Cierra Ladesich, Kinesiology major, Class of 2025.

This investigation uses an in-depth analysis of published research and national archives and evaluates the standing of the American system compared to other systems around the world. Ultimately, this review aims to draw attention to the causes of our system’s shortcomings and evaluate proposed solutions and opportunities for improvement. The United States Healthcare System prioritizes financial gain over the well-being of its consumers and patients. The use of sources, including national archives, historic legislation, and action by government administrations, a general overview of government agencies and involvement in healthcare and insurance, and the current financing and subsidization of healthcare, aids in understanding the setup of the system in place. Reports from agencies like the Centers for Disease Control show the statistics of the efficiency, costs, and outcomes of the system as a whole. Additionally, cross comparisons between the United States’ system and other leading nations from the Commonwealth Fund serve as a framework for analyzing where the U.S. ranks among global leaders in healthcare regarding system performance, accessibility, quality of care, patient outcomes, and satisfaction, among other factors.  Then, published research from economists, healthcare providers, social scientists, and other academics is used to analyze the different public opinions on healthcare, address dysfunction within the system, and identify areas for improvement. Understanding the diversity in public opinion regarding healthcare serves to identify where differences in views arise from, what different belief systems are rooted in, and recognize areas for potential common ground and consensus to lead to change and improvement.  Finally, research from the Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis and similar agencies examines the potential outcomes of a universal healthcare system adoption in the United States. Research such as this indicates the possible improvements in both patient outcomes, the overall health of our national population, and the economic benefits of a universal system. In a country with seemingly limitless dedication to progress, the stagnancy of the system’s desire to increase accessibility, equity, and instill change is disappointing at best. Access to healthcare and the ability to live as healthily as possible is a fundamental human right, and the current system presents barriers rooted in a profit driven industry that prioritizes money over the wellness of its constituents.

Cierra told Honors, “The most significant impact this project had on me was learning to approach research with an open mind, and it showed me the value of always remaining curious. Another impact that this entire process had on me was helping me build upon my academic resilience. Throughout the year, I was faced with challenges. Completing an honors project was a demanding feat, my senior year was busy, as is with most students. The last crucial impact that this process had for me was showing me that I can achieve many things simultaneously. Not only am I immensely passionate about healthcare and medicine as a whole, but this project also gave me an excellent opportunity to discuss why I am continuing my education in a medically-related field for my graduate school interviews. This project gave my passion and advocacy an evidence-based foundation and it allowed me to show myself why it is important to continuously seek knowledge in what interests me and furthers me as a professional.”

Promote the General Welfare: A Political History and Economic Analysis of Medicare and Medicaid

Sara Rosomoff, Political Science major and Economics Combined BA/MA program, Class of 2019.

Throughout U.S. history, national health insurance has been a topic of great controversy. Three times during the 20th century legislation to enact such insurance was defeated. However, in 1965, the Medicare/Medicaid legislation was successfully passed in Congress, establishing a compulsory health insurance program for the elderly in the United States.

The obvious questions, and the center of research, is what made this attempt different? What factors led to its successful passage? And lastly, what factors led to states choosing to participate in Medicaid and offer a certain level of generosity? To answer these questions, Sara examined the history of health insurance in the U.S. qualitatively and through various statistical models, to analyze the results empirically.

Reinventing Agriculture: Addressing Urban Growth and Food Production through Vertical Farming

Nicole Rusk, Architecture major with a Sustainability co-major, Class of 2019.

Vertical farming, the practice of raising produce without soil in a controlled indoor environment, pushes agricultural boundaries by providing innovative and productive means for growing food within a city. This project allowed Nicole to combine knowledge of architecture, sustainability, and agriculture into the application of urban food issues.

After traveling to several vertical farms in the U.S. and Germany, Nicole built a small indoor hydroponic farm, proposed schematic architectural plans for a downtown Toledo vertical farm design, and wrote a comprehensive research paper about this innovative revolution in conserving water and growing food.

You Get What You Pay For: Combating Hezbollah Terrorist Financing in the Tri-Border Area of South America

Annika Fowler, Finance and Political Science majors, Class of 2020.

Since the late 1970s, the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America has served as a money laundering haven for criminal operations, and Hezbollah has successfully leveraged this paradise to finance and plan its global terrorist operations. Annika argued that to effectively combat Hezbollah terrorist financing in the Tri-Border Area, criminal investigations must be cooperatively aligned transnationally with terrorism investigations. The 25th anniversary of the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires sparked Argentine action on Hezbollah and presents an opportunity for improved collective international law enforcement action that acknowledges the interconnectedness of global terrorism and drug trafficking while appropriately reconciling broader political objectives at home and abroad.

Annika told Honors, "This project allowed me to combine all of my majors and minors (finance, political science, Spanish, and Latin American Studies) in an interdisciplinary way, preparing me for graduate school and a career in public service."

An Introduction to Quantum Cognition for Undergraduates

Antonio Vazquez Lim, Physics, Philosophy, and Psychology majors, Class of 2022.

Antonio’s goal was to give students at an [advanced] undergraduate level an introduction to a very new and exciting field of cognitive and mathematical psychology which uses the mathematics of quantum mechanics to model strange and irrational phenomena in cognition. It introduces the math of quantum theory, the history of the field, the reasons why we use this math, and then some models which use it.

Antonio told Honors, “At the end, I provide some philosophical ideas to push students to think critically about the topic in hopes of them going on to develop the field further. Honestly, the impact of this project was less about the project itself and more about what it meant to me to complete it. Over my career at Miami, I've struggled a lot with mental illness and various difficult life events. There are times where I thought about dropping out and times where I felt inadequate, but knowing that I could do something which might leave an impact is more than enough. I hope to show that you can do something you're proud of, even when you're full of doubt.”

How Cultural Phenomena and Major Events Shape the European Hockey World

Aidan McGaughy, Information Systems & Analytics and Marketing majors, Class of 2023.

This project's goal is to provide an in-depth understanding of how differences in culture, infrastructure, and cultural phenomena or significant events have shaped the hockey world and the different countries. The final deliverable was a substantial 45-page research report comprised of extensive primary and secondary research leading to hypotheses and conclusions about the effect these topics have on the hockey world. This project allowed Aidan to contextualize Europe and the hockey world. 

Aidan told Honors, "I completed my project during my senior year and part of my project included studying abroad in Europe [with the Honors College]. This trip was an excellent opportunity to visit Europe for the first time, experience new cultures, try new things, and research something I am incredibly passionate about; the hockey world. I supplemented the Borders and Bridges [study abroad program's] Post WWI European History class curriculum with my research. I created a 45-page research paper analyzing how differences in culture, infrastructure, and cultural phenomena or significant events have shaped the hockey world and different countries. I enjoyed immersing myself in European cultures I studied all year and attending my first European hockey game in Interlaken, Switzerland. I am thankful for the opportunity to create memorable and meaningful learning experiences like these during my undergraduate career! The Honors College at Miami University gave me access to many resources that helped me get the most out of my undergraduate career."

Nature as Medicine: Representations in German Literature from 1800 to the Present

Alivia O'Donnell, Biology and German majors, Class of 2024.

Alivia reviewed a collection of German literary works from the 1800s through present. The overarching project goal was to analyze the representations of medicine in German literature over time and the connections between medicine and nature within these works. Alivia explored the following research questions: In what ways do representations of nature and medicine evolve in German literature throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, reflecting changes in scientific understanding and cultural attitudes? To what extent do German literary texts from the Romantic period idealize nature and its healing properties, and how does this compare to later literary movements such as Realism and Expressionism? Are there discernible shifts in the portrayal of medical professionals and institutions in German literature over the examined period, and how do these depictions intersect with evolving views on nature and human health? Alivia found consistent themes surrounding escapism, nature aesthetics, and the interconnectedness of nature, spirituality, & medicine that are both explored and challenged in literary works. Additionally, the range of works provided unique sociocultural insights into the state of medical thought at the time of publication.

Alivia told Honors, "This project has profoundly impacted my understanding of how sociocultural trends can shape and modify medical thought, practice, and institutions in various sociocultural and historical contexts. Additionally, this project sparked a major interest in the medical humanities, which has become an area I wish to pursue in research in the future. I am extremely grateful for [participating in] the CAS Dean's Scholars program. I would also like to thank my research mentor, Dr. Nicole Thesz, who not only sparked my interest in this research project, but also provided immense guidance and encouragement throughout the process."

Human Roles in Implementation and Oversight of Artificial Intelligence

Ally Britton-Heitz, Diplomacy & Global Politics and Russian, Eastern European, & Eurasian Studies majors (Class of 2024) and M.S. in Business Analytics (Class of 2025).

Recognizing the ever-evolving roles of humans in the development, implementation, maintenance and oversight of Artificial Intelligence (AI), this study examines the current literature to gain a greater understanding of decision making thus far as well as make predictions and recommendations for further actions regarding AI. As such, a governance structure (framework) has been created, supported by the literature available and demands of the industry, to answer these pertinent research questions, namely what the role of humans in the implementation of AI and the development of rules for the use of AI is. As number of countries implement AI strategies and governance, it is necessary to understand what aspects may fuel further innovation and understanding of AI, and which may create greater fear. While research must continue as these policies are cemented, a general understanding is beginning to emerge.

Ally told Honors, "This project has taught me key research and collaboration skills, as well as greatly improved my presentation capabilities. Throughout the process of writing my initial draft, presenting at both the MWAIS and the [Miami University] Undergraduate Research Forum, I have received vital feedback that has culminated in this project. Moving from my original draft, as presented at MWAIS, to my secondary draft, with the goal of publication, I have gained insight into the value of audience and alterations that are necessary as a piece moves from a conference style presentation, to publication style." 

Investigating the Role of Ephrin/EPH Signaling in Newt Lens Regeneration

Alyssa Miller, Biology major with a Premedical Studies co-major, Class of 2020.

Aylssa worked on a research team that identified specific protein signaling pathways that are essential downstream targets in the mechanism of Ephrin-mediated regeneration. These results will be extremely beneficial to the field as characterizing a map of the downstream targets of Ephrins will be pivotal in understanding regeneration. As a result of this work, there are now the necessary tools in order to gain a mechanistically insights into the function and regulation of Eph/ephrin signaling during lens regeneration. Alyssa plans to go to Medical school and also research the mechanisms of cancer formation and molecular and cellular biology associated with cancer.

Alyssa told Honors, "In my opinion, the best physicians are those who have both great passion for patient well-being as well as a deep understanding of the molecular events that lead to an illness. As a future physician scientist, I want to be at the forefront of both translational medicine and the application of medical research to improve patient outcomes. While my coursework has allowed for the academic backbone in my understanding of cell and molecular processes and general physiology, my work in this laboratory and on this project has given me the experiential learning to narrow down my specific career interests outside of the typical classroom environment." Alyssa presented this research on-campus at the Miami University Undergraduate Research Forum, in addition to off-campus presentations at the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Native Americans in Science Annual Convention and the Society of Developmental Biology Regional Conference.

Gut Organoids: Current Landscape and Future Directions for Modeling Diabetes

Valerie Thompson, Microbiology major with a Premedical Studies co-major, Class of 2021.

This project was an exploration-based research project in which Valerie provided insights into the intestinal organoid model and projections of its applications to the study of metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Detailing its origins in basic science and describing its current position in translational research, this project culminated as a comprehensive synthesis of these research areas, translating the potential of this technology into the public health, precision medicine, and preventative medicine domains.

Valerie told Honors, "As an aspiring physician-investigator, it was important for me to utilize my time in the Honors Program to invest in the research I have become so passionate about; pursing this Honors project was an excellent way to engage in undergraduate research with more independence, stretching my capacity as a student while also learning to think and write as a scientist. This was an enjoyable opportunity for me to combine my in-classroom learning experiences in Microbiology and Public Health to a project with real-world applications. Now reflecting on my experience at Miami and with the Honors Program, I am grateful that I was able to take on such a significant undertaking with this Honors project."

Development of a Probe for Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy with Variable Source-Detector Separation

Boyd Colbrunn, Biological Physics major with a Premedical Studies co-major, Class of 2022.

The objectives of this project were centered around creating and testing the utility of a diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) system with variable source-detector separation. This system would essentially allow for detection of oxygen and hemoglobin in the skin at various depths, allowing DRS to become more flexible. The research is still ongoing, but Boyd presented his current findings at a virtual symposium through the Ohio Space Grant Consortium.

Boyd told Honors, “This was my first opportunity to lead my own research project in the lab. Beyond the knowledge and skills I gained in optics and photonics, I was able to learn more about how research projects are run and how the world of academic research functions. Ultimately, these skills will translate effectively into my future in medical school and beyond.”

Using Biologging Data from Turtles to Assess Repeatability and Consistency in Physiological Behaviors

Cassidy Waldrep, Zoology and Spanish majors with Neuroscience co-major, Class of 2023.

This project was a fully coding-based study meant to develop a novel methodology for discovering animal personality on animals wearing biologgers. Cassidy found that by analyzing the data from biologgers, it is possible to determine temporal consistency, repeatability between individuals, and clusterings of individuals that show behavioral syndromes. Cassidy hopes to publish her research and was able to present it at Miami University's Undergraduate Research Forum, the Indiana University Animal Behavior Conference, and for the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.

Cassidy told Honors, "This project has been my pride and joy for the past 4 years. I came into the project as just a little freshman, not knowing how to code or even write a scientific paper. I jumped into the project headfirst, very unaware that I would fall in love with coding and that it would push me to pursue a graduate degree with a heavy emphasis on biological statistical analysis. As someone who wants to do research and write papers for the rest of my life, this project has taught me just that. I got the opportunity to learn R through online class, classes at Miami, and just general googling. Furthermore, my wonderful mentor Paul Schaeffer gave me the opportunity to be first author on my manuscript, an accomplishment that not many others can say they did in undergraduate. This project really determined my career and I cannot be thankful enough for it."

Effect of µ-Opioid Receptor Knockout on Fear Conditioning, Extinction, and Morphine-Analgesia

Henry Beckett, Psychology major with Neuroscience and Premedical Studies co-majors, Class of 2023.

The project aimed to do an initial analysis of a new line of mice in the neuroscience lab Henry pursued research. These mice have a receptor (mu-opioid) knocked out from specific cells in a brain region called the amygdala. Those cells are important in the processing of fear. Henry found the KO caused no affect on the acquisition of fear, but does have effect on the extinguishing of fear. This shows us that the receptors are involved in fear processing on the back end but not in initial consolidation of fear. Henry was able to present this research with other undergraduate researchers and his faculty mentor at the Animal Behavior Conference.

Henry told Honors, "This project has allowed me to take the reins of a scholarly pursuit for the first time. Being the point person for a project allowed me to go through the proposal process, coordinate across our lab and others, learn statistics, improve my writing, and continue to develop as a scientist. Additionally, the Honors College gave me the opportunity to take my experiences in the classroom beyond the syllabus. Through things like course extensions, I was able to deep dive into topics that interested me under the guidance of faculty. The impact that has imparted on my scientific writing and research skills is invaluable."

A Two-Year Analysis of Comprehensive Balance Testing: Diagnoses and Treatment Recommendations

Lydia Copeland, Chemistry major with Premedical Studies co-major and Master of Science in Health Promotion, Class of 2023.

With the help of Dr. Smith and Dr. Geller, this project aimed to investigate how balance testing can distinguish various etiologies to better understand how to treat dizziness accurately and effectively. Lydia analyzed two years of data from a private comprehensive balance testing center to determine various frequencies and/or trends seen when diagnosing the common dizzy patient. Overall, if was found that comprehensive balance testing can provide detailed information for diagnosing and treating dizzy patients and that the most common referrals were for imaging and vestibular rehabilitation physical therapy. It was also found that less than 8% of the 2000 patients needed surgical consultations which suggests that non-surgical specialties could potentially play a larger role in the treatment of this population. The paper is currently being reviewed for publication at an ENT journal in 2023.

Lydia told Honors, "Overall, completing this project was one of the most challenging and rewarding processes. I had never designed a study on my own and had complete creative freedom from start to finish. I have grown so much as a researcher throughout this process and am forever grateful for the opportunity. I have learned so much that will help me in the coming years as I hope to continue to pursue research during medical school. I will forever remember my time in the Honors College. Some of my most meaningful experiences throughout college have been during my Honors experiences and I am grateful for the Honors College for providing me the platform to pursue other areas outside of my classes. The individualized advising and opportunities the College provides are unmatched and truly made my time at Miami more valuable."

Impacts of Microplastic Ingestion on Disease in Rainbow Trout

Katie Gabe, Biology major with a Sustainability co-major, Class of 2024.

After ingesting nylon microplastic fibers or particles, juvenile rainbow trout were analyzed for their vulnerability to viral infection (infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus). It was found that the fish that had not eaten plastic were significantly more likely to be infected by the virus. This challenges existing ideas about the negative impacts of microplastics on fish but could be explained by innate immune priming, where the plastic had primed the trouts' immune systems before viral exposure, preparing them to fight infection. Due to low infection rates overall, there is also a possibility that viral dosing was insufficient to observe more impactful results.

Katie told Honors, "My project helped me to hone my interests in marine science and explore the anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems, advancing the field by creating a foundational project with the potential to grow in numerous ways. By working with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science on this project, I also gained an incredible network in Virginia and learned about what working in science realistically looks like. I also grew dramatically in my research skills, scientific communication abilities, and confidence as a scientist."